We all imagine we know the story of Noah and his Ark. But what about the WOMEN in the Ark? And what about Day 50? (and you thought there were scarcely any women and it was only 40 days?)

Jocelyn-Anne Harvey has written this exclusive add-on to her book just for you, my lovely readers!

Aboard the Ark: Day 50

I hear you say, ‘I thought it rained for forty days and nights?’ Yes, it did, though it isn’t the length of the journey. When we examine the Genesis chapters, we realise the Flood story has many depths. One of these depths is the journey was a lot longer than forty days. Another is that it wasn’t just about Noah. There were seven other people aboard and four of them were women.
            We read in Genesis 6:18 about a family being saved, but because the women aren’t named, I think our attention is drawn to Noah. True, he’s a central character, but this doesn’t diminish the reality of his wife and daughters-in-law, nor their role. In my recently published non-fiction book, Not Knowing, but Still Going, I’ve explored more about what the four women experienced and how this can encourage us with our lives today.
            I think Day 50 on the ark could have been of those harder times. If Emzara[1] had a journal, I can imagine her describing those unknown feelings. The unknown wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling for her; ever since Noah spoke those strange words, she’d encountered many different forms. However, at this point she really didn’t know what was going to happen next. Why? Because on Day 30 Emzara knew the torrential rain pounding against the ark would cease. God told Noah this (Genesis 7:4). On Day 41 the family experienced confirmation that what God spoke was true; the rain had stopped. But they didn’t walk out into sunshine under a rainbow’s banner. Neither did God tell them how long the flood would continue, and they’d have to stay aboard. All they could do was wait.
            We can empathise with Emzara. I’m sure we’ve all had waiting seasons. Sometimes we know the end date, like how long the Flood’s rain lasted. Often, we don’t have any milestones or markers. Stuck on the ark they were between two worlds. The pre-flood earth had disappeared. The post-flood landscape yet to be revealed. Other than the water’s sloshing sound there were no signs. As the days passed where did Emzara’s hope come from?
            When I’m waiting, I’m drawn to Scripture, reminding myself of who God is and finding encouragement in the experiences of others. Emzara couldn’t access this; those stories weren’t written. They were for the descendants her daughters-in-law birthed. The ones who God revealed Himself to as Yahweh.
            Though we have the Lord in our lives it doesn’t mean waiting is easy for us. When I’m waiting for something to happen, waiting for change, I’m self-conscious. Strange, because when we’re not waiting, we’re so caught up in the action we don’t need to be introspective. Think about when you’re driving and the traffic flows. You don’t feel each mile. But it’s another story when there’s red lights ahead. You sure feel each little movement!         This kind of waiting reaction makes me think of ‘Be Still, and know that I am God!’ (Psalm 46:10). There are states of stillness. It doesn’t mean we’re going to be statues and stay frozen in the same spot. Here, the Lord asks us to still ourselves. It speaks to me about the self-effort we want to make while we wait and our inner feelings.
            Emzara couldn’t force the ark’s progress. She couldn’t clamber out of the ark’s window when danger surrounded them. We can’t force progress either. Trying to find a way or desperately honking the horn so we can get ahead of the car in front. Yet when we’re still in our uncertainty, the certainty of God comes through.
            Yes, we’re still waiting. God doesn’t say, ‘Be still, and know all the answers.’ But like Emzara experienced, He is working while we wait. Though we may have no circumstantial signs, no viewpoint, there is change. For Emzara something happened, roughly three and a half months after the rain stopped the ark settled against the mountain peaks (Genesis 8:4). A sign of God’s hand.
            The door didn’t open – the women had more waiting – more stages of the journey ahead. But God hadn’t forgotten them. Whatever you’re waiting on God for today be encouraged that He will never forget you. Let’s allow ourselves to stop trying, fighting and attempting to make those changes. Let’s rest in His grace. Let’s still ourselves amidst the unknowns of our wait because He will make Himself known.

[1] Emzara is the name I gave to Mrs Noah in my book. It is also the name used in the Book of Jubilees, a Jewish text.

Jocelyn-Anne with her new book! Jocelyn-Anne loves the Lord, learning and literature. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester, and her flash fiction has been published. Having taken the leap from her senior HR role in the UK Government, Jocelyn-Anne can identify with those walking through uncertain times, and she is passionate about supporting others through theirs and helping them develop. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her in a coffee shop with friends, exploring coastal paths or trying out recipes.

THERE ARE 3 SIGNED COPIES of the book in this month’s giveaway!

To find out how to be in the giveaway you’ll need to sign up (on the popup on here) and the emails will slip into your inbox on Sunday evenings (fortnightly)

If you can’t wait that long, or you’d just like to purchase a copy anyway, or even get one to give to a friend, the book is available in all good bookshops and online Christian booksellers. Or click below to buy it.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it’s an easy read. Based on the Biblical account, there is a lot of historical research, lots of valuable insights, and also the intriguing idea of trying to imagine what it was like to be one of the women on the Ark. It leaves you with a lot to consider, not least what it’s like to be in lockdown not knowing when the end will be in sight! For that’s what it must have been like on the Ark. I found myself pausing to ponder, and appreciated that the chapters end with a prayer, a Chapter Contemplation section, and some blank journaling pages. So it’s not a book to be read and put away; it’s one to use, to dip into, to write in and to learn from.

The book delves into the human responses and the practical issues that are hidden within the story of the Ark. Helpful themes include what to do when you’re not sure what to do, waiting, family, human frailty. And throughout the book, Jocelyn-Anne is honest with us in sharing her own struggles and mistakes, grounding her contemplations in Scripture and personal experience. I found the underlying theme of what to do when you don’t know what to do or don't know what’s ahead, particularly helpful, and was hugely encouraged to realise you should keep going and trust in God because he has everything under control.

Do read this helpful new book!